Founded in 2011 by Gordon Ramsay’s protégés Nick Alvis & Scott Price and later under the reign of Darren Velvick, Table 9 at @dubaicreekhilton has a prestigious lineup of world-renounced chefs under its belt, and my expectations were therefore in the nines.
Located on the first floor of Hilton Dubai Creek, the restaurant ambiance is all about minimalist black and white; think upholstered black leather and starched white tablecloths. The spacing is long and narrow, and with an age-old interior design trick of adding mirroring across the walls, the restaurant appears a little larger than it is.
A few splashes of color in the form of oil canvases by local artists breaks the monotony. I especially liked the ‘Table 9’ canvas right at the front, and even got Executive Chef Enver Can Gumus to pose for me.
Chef Gumus is absolutely adorable! This very young Moroccan protege claims his favorite cuisine is French, and most of the dishes here are born out of that love. With his petite stature and beguiling youth, his immaculately dished out creations come as a very pleasant surprise.
We started off with a soulfully creamy Asparagus Soup, made all the more special with delicate peaks of chives foam.
For starters, we had a Burrata Salad where the much-loved Italian cheese was wrapped up elegantly in cucumber, and served with grainy organic quinoa, celery and dried tomatoes.
We also tried the 48 Hours Cured Duck from the cold appetizers section of the menu. A few shards of very moist, flavorful duck meat are served (almost as garnish) over a mound of carrot and blue cheese. The carrot mix is like a very fancy coleslaw, but what makes this dish really interesting is a scoop of beetroot sorbet. The combination of hot with a spoon of cold, the mix of fresh root vegetables, the hit of meaty duck… this wee plateful is magic on the palate.
And then there was the Slow Cooked Octopus, one of our favorites from the night. Following a special Mediterranean recipe, this open-plate salad features plump, flavorful bites of octopus, baby potatoes, baby onion and dollops of hollandaise sauce. I only wish the portion size was bigger, was left wishing for more octopus.
We downed these delicacies with refreshingly fruity glasses of Sangria.
For my mains, I opted for one of Table 9’s signature dishes, the Pistachio Crusted Lamb Loin. How stunning is the plating! This dish features a succulently soft, flavorful serving of lamb loin that has been artfully rolled in pistachio crumbs and is served with a moreishly good slab of polenta, confit fennel and a brush of plum jus. Absolutely loved the flavor combination here!
The Hubster opted for the Braised Lamb Shank, a ‘falling off the bone’ meaty treat that is made all the more flavorful with a side of truffle oiled potato mash and an assortment of baked vegetables.
We ended the night with Table 9’s signature dessert, the Tiramisu and Macaroons. This dessert comes in a decadently dark chocolate shell that is filled with a creamy coffee mousse and macaroons. A hot chocolate sauce is poured onto the shell for a little drama as the contents are revealed.
Overall, we loved the dishes we had the pleasure of tasting at Table 9. The presentation here is a work of art, and the craftsmanship in playing with rather uncommon flavor combinations is highly impressive. I only wish the portion sizes could be a little more generous given the price tag (approximate cost for 2 here is AED 350).
Table 9 is located in Hilton Dubai Creek. For bookings and more information, give them a call on 04 212 7551. You can also visit their website by clicking here.
The Tezzy Files 